[Game Riddler] A simple game

[Mike]

Screw you and your 8!

5.

[Eliahad]

2?

[Mike]

Aw... sorry.

1.

I win.

[Mike]

Now I'm not sure that Flame and I are playing the same game, but here's how mine is played:

Imagine the numbers 1 thru 9 laid out in front of you. We're going to take turns picking up those numbers. The first player to get a winning set of three wins.

Winning sets:
1 2 3
1 4 7
1 5 9
2 5 8
3 5 7
3 6 9
4 5 6
7 8 9

Every number appears in at least two sets. The number 5 is most prolific, appearing in four sets. So you try to pick numbers that force the other player to make certain moves to keep you from winning, while at the same time trying to build multiple paths to winning so that your opponent can't stop you.

Because there are so few numbers to choose from, the game often ends with no winner. The player who goes first has a distinct advantage.

[Eliahad]

Okay, I have seen that game before, but I was never going to get there. I was summing sequences and looking for patterns among the whole sequence. It was a little smaller than that.

[FlameBlade]

Fascinating. I had indeed screwed up, and transformed into a puzzler for myself to see what you are doing.

[FlameBlade]

Let's try again!

8

[Mike]

3

[FlameBlade]

5

[Mike]

2

[FlameBlade]

1

[Mike]

9

[FlameBlade]

6. I win.

Shall we play again?

[Mike]

Of course we shall. You go first this time.

[FlameBlade]

4